Members of The Woodlands lacrosse team pray during funeral services for teammate Kody Soeder, 16, a Woodlands High School sophomore who died early Saturday morning.

Members of The Woodlands lacrosse team pray during funeral services for teammate Kody Soeder, 16, a Woodlands High School sophomore who died early Saturday morning.

Image 3 of 3

Residents celebrate life of Woodlands teenager killed

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

1

THE WOODLANDS - A tragic accident drew more than 1,000 friends, teammates, teachers and coaches to the Fellowship of The Woodlands church Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the life of a young man whose life ended too soon.

They assembled at the church to remember the life of Kody Soeder, 16, a Woodlands High School sophomore who died early Saturday morning when his GMC pickup truck struck a tree near the intersection of Cochran’s Crossing Drive and Spiral Leaf Court in The Woodlands.

Kevin Soeder said his family has received strength through the support of the community by way of phone calls, letters, e-mails and word of encouragement.

“We all knew Kody was a great kid, but I had no idea how many lives he’d touched,” he said. “The outpour of love and support from the community has been unbelievable; their support has truly been a blessing.”

Those attending the service were treated to a slide show highlighting Kody’s adolescence. Among the special memories were the matching haircuts of himself and brother Kyle; Kody’s proud, pink-sunburned face with a gleaming smile atop a Jet Ski and a number of photographs of Kody tearing up the field for The Woodlands High School varsity lacrosse squad.

Kevin Soeder said the days after his son’s death have been difficult for his family, but learning how many lives his teenage son touched has eased - but not erased - the grieving process.

Law enforcement officials found Kody Soeder’s body inside his GMC pickup truck around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, hours after the vehicle struck a tree just south of the intersection of Cochran’s Crossing Drive and Spiral Leaf Court in The Woodlands.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials said fatigue appeared to be a contributing factor for wreck. The DPS investigation learned Soeder had been awake for approximately 20 hours and was on his way back to a friend’s house when the wreck occurred around 4:30 a.m.

Kevin Soeder contacted law enforcement Friday evening to report his son had not returned home. Kody Soeder’s body was discovered in the wreckage just after daylight the next morning.

Kody Soeder earned his letter jacket in academics and was a member of the varsity lacrosse team. He was an offensive guard on the junior varsity football team this past season.

Teammates and coaches from both sports were at the service to honor Kody Soeder’s memory. Most of them wore their jerseys to the ceremony.

Lacrosse teammate Sean Woyton, a Woodlands sophomore, said Soeder would be missed as teammate and friend.

“He was just the best teammate you could have. He really respected everybody,” Woyton said. “He was a great all around guy that everybody loved.”

As friends extended the Soeder family their condolences, Kevin Soeder repeated a message he issued following his son’s death.

“I just hope and wish the kids would be safe in their daily trials,” he said.

Soeder’s death was one of four single motor vehicle fatalities in Montgomery County during a five-day period.

A pickup truck was found ablaze in the 2100 block of Airport Road early Saturday morning with Conroe resident George Wilkerson, 44, inside the vehicle.

Conroe resident Cameron Justin Rea, 18, died in an accident early Monday morning near the intersection of Texas 242 and Gleneagle Drive after his vehicle struck a light pole.

The fifth fatality occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Decker Prairie and Lori when a male approximately 30 years old was found dead from a wreck that involved a motorcycle.